Some police organizations and Republican politicians are blaming Democrats and last year's defund the police effort for a troubling rise in homicides in many cities across the country.

DETROIT There has been a lot going on in Detroit over the last couple of months, from COVID, protests, to now the string of violence. Chief Craig said they are handling it all, but he has to be honest, its a lot. Eight whole weeks, said Chief James Craig with Detroit Police. READ: Detroit ProtestsThats how many weeks there have been of nightly protests against police brutality. No they come out of the neighborhood police stations.Larry: Chief Craig, Having the adequate resources to mandate these protests and the crime thats going on here in Detroit, is that stretching your resources?

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Police in Grand Rapids are investigating “Defund Police” messages spray-painted on driveways at the homes of city officials and at a government parking garage. “These bullying and intimidation tactics are unacceptable and won’t be tolerated. “There is a process in place for determining our department’s budget, and we must let that process play out," he said. A member of the city commission, Milinda Ysasi, has proposed cutting the police budget by $9 million. The budget cut could cause dozens of layoffs, according to the Grand Rapids Police Officers Association and Grand Rapids Police Command Officers Association.

Leaders of the Detroit protest group, who has marched in the city for the last 11 days, have released a list of demands ahead of a meeting with Mayor Mike Duggan and Police Chief James Craig on Tuesday. Protest co-organizers Tristan Taylor and Nakia Wallace, who recently formed the organization Detroit Will Breathe, will meet with Duggan and Craig on Tuesday morning to discuss demands from the group who have been calling for an end to police brutality, among other things. The group has a larger list of demands, but will be prioritizing this list for the meeting today. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder. Other officers involved have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.